CloudLockFixer (CLF-WDAS)

🇩🇪 Deutsche Version: README.de.md

CloudLockFixer with Delayed Action Service is a Windows tray tool that reliably performs file/folder operations (rename / move / delete) inside cloud-sync folders — even while the Windows Cloud Files filter (cldflt) is blocking them. You queue an action and it is carried out "eventually," automatically — fire & forget.

Why?

cldflt.sys (installed by OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud — anything using the Cloud Files API) intercepts rename() at the driver level and returns "Access denied"/EXDEV while it is active. The Microsoft-recommended workaround is to replace rename() with copy()+delete() — which is exactly what this tool does, plus delayed retries and optional pausing of the sync client.

Start here

Need	Entry point
Fix a OneDrive or Cloud Files "Access denied" rename/move/delete	Start the tray app with START.bat, then add a delayed task
Automate stuck file operations from scripts or LLM agents	Use PYTHONPATH=src python -m cloudlockfixer.cli
Inspect the safety model before deleting anything	Read docs/DESIGN.md
Queue work without opening the UI	Edit %LOCALAPPDATA%\CloudLockFixer\queue.txt
Verify the source tree	Run PYTHONPATH=src python -m pytest -q

Features

• Queue file/folder operations and let them run fire & forget
• copy+delete fallback that bypasses the cldflt lock automatically
• Chains of 1–4 steps with safe ordering — destructive steps run only after the preceding step succeeds (no data loss)
• Multiple input paths: CLI (for LLMs/scripts), human-readable queue.txt, tray dialog, and an Explorer right-click context menu
• Auto-retry on a configurable interval (default 2 h) and on demand
• Optional sync-client pause/restart during an operation (OneDrive provider)
• Optional preventive watcher that pauses/resumes the sync client based on folder activity
• Autostart with Windows; single-instance tray app

Installation

Requirements

• Windows (the cldflt filter is Windows-specific)
• Python 3.10+
• PySide6 (>= 6.7)

Steps

1. Clone the repository
2. pip install -r requirements.txt
3. Start the tray app: double-click START.bat, or PYTHONPATH=src python -m cloudlockfixer

Usage

Tray app

Starts with Windows when autostart is enabled. Tray menu: Add task…, Run now (also with OneDrive pause), Interval (30-min steps, default 2 h), Start with Windows, Open queue/log.

CLI (for LLMs/scripts)

clf add --rename "C:\...\OldFolder" "NewName"
clf add --move   "C:\local\x"        "C:\onedrive\x"
clf add --delete "C:\onedrive\old"
clf add --chain  'move "C:\local\x" "C:\onedrive\x" && delete "C:\onedrive\old"'
clf list
clf run-now [--pause]

(dev invocation: PYTHONPATH=src python -m cloudlockfixer.cli ...)

queue.txt (human/LLM)

A file at %LOCALAPPDATA%\CloudLockFixer\queue.txt, one line per task (rename / move / delete, chaining with &&). Consumed lines are automatically commented out with #>.

How it works

• Chains (1–4 steps): step N runs only after step N-1 succeeds. A destructive delete runs only after its preceding step succeeded → no data loss.
• copy+delete primitive: an in-place attempt is made first; on a lock it automatically falls back to copy → verify → delete. Idempotent (safe to retry).
• Worker: runs on start + every 2 h (configurable) + on demand. If a task is stuck repeatedly, the responsible sync client is paused for that run and restarted afterwards.

Discovery context

Useful search phrases: OneDrive access denied rename, cldflt.sys locked file, Windows Cloud Files filter copy delete fallback, OneDrive 0x8007016A file operation, Dropbox Google Drive iCloud locked folder retry, and CloudLockFixer queue.txt.

CloudLockFixer is not a generic file unlocker, anti-malware tool, backup client or cloud-storage replacement. It is a local-first queue and retry helper for files that are already under the user's control but temporarily blocked by a cloud-sync provider.

Status / Roadmap

• P1 (done): Core (copy+delete, chains, retry) · CLI · queue.txt · Tray · Autostart · OneDrive provider.
• P2 (done): Explorer right-click context menu (HKCU cascade, opt-in via tray toggle).
• P3 (done): Preventive watcher (observes the change rate of configured folders → pauses/resumes the sync client; bounded, stat-only, does not hydrate online-only placeholders; opt-in).
• Tests: pytest, 88 passing (core + P2/P3 + i18n + multicloud regressions).
• Open/future: more provider adapters (Dropbox / Google Drive / iCloud); optional suppression of sync-client relaunch during long operations.

Windows-only; the core is platform-neutral for later ports. Design notes: docs/DESIGN.md.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

This project depends on PySide6 (Qt for Python), licensed under the LGPL v3. PySide6 is used as an unmodified third-party dependency.